1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to the field of cabling devices and principally to a branching means and method for wire bundles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art branching or break-out devices for wire bundles are variously disclosed in the following patents:
U.s. pat. No. 505,798 issued to O. A. Bell on Sept. 26, 1893; U.S. Pat. No. 667,195 issued to T. V. Davis on Feb. 5, 1901; U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,887 issued to H. W. Bowley et al. on Oct. 29, 1940; U.S. Pat. No. 3,080,892 issued to W. A. Plummer on Mar. 12, 1963; U.S. Pat. No. 3,082,984 issued to B. G. Larsson et al. on Mar. 26, 1963; U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,336 issued to R. H. Ellis on July 5, 1969; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,878 issued to T. J. Gressitt et al. on Aug. 5, 1969. The majority of the disclosures show a common design incorporating either a slotted or apertured sleeve, the apertures or slots of which are provided to receive the branched wires which have been separated from the main wire bundle or cable. Closure of the sleeve is generally accomplished by a relatively cumbersome interlocking seam or zipper-like arrangement which, when employed in combination with the disclosed fully enclosed sleeves, results in relatively expensive, bulky, and loose fitting structure of limited versatility and application. With the advent of advanced technology in solid state communication and central devices, much present day wiring and cabling incorporates a multitude of relatively small diameter wires which must be branched or broken away from the main cable run for subsequent connection to terminals, connectors, and like elements. The prior art devices such as exemplified in the above noted patents fail to provide the versatility, economy of manufacture, and ease of use required in such applications, and in many other applications in which convenience, cost, and versatility are important considerations.